The young woman smiled warmly at her co-workers, a potted plant safely in her arms as she let herself out of the shop. She hadn't expected to be held up an additional hour but apparently, her last customer hadn't been too pleased with the fact that their vinca plant had yet to sprout any blossoms. She had maintained a straight face throughout the entirety of the exchange, not letting on to the fact that the little plant had been giving her pleas for help. She had immediately known what the problem was, after all. That was her gift. It was hyper-sensitive to the soil it was being given--not to mention the fact that the poor thing had been deprived of sunlight for half of the day. So of course it was melancholy and of course it wouldn't bloom. Trying to convey that and make it sound as if it wasn't accusatory, well, that was a whole other task--though she had a feeling she had done rather well.
Regardless, the encounter was now over and she had a pothos to bring back to her home. She cooed to the plant for a minute or so, rubbing her nose playfully against the leaves before putting it in her basket. She was careful as she got into her car--well, it wasn't her car, technically. When their parents had passed, her and Ara had assumed responsibility of quite a lot, and that included the two vehicles that had been under their parents care. Mmm, had they eaten dinner yet? Probably, it was a later hour than normal. And she had planned to surprise everyone with cupcakes too... She eyed the cupcake mix in the backseat, sighing. Oh well, another day, another time. It just wasn't meant to be, sadly. They never really did anything as a family anymore, well, what family? Things had fallen apart somewhat after the joint deaths and...
Her breath hitched in her throat, painful memories rising like bile in her throat. Feeling a small bit of panic beginning to bubble in her stomach, she forced her eyes closed, breathing in and out deeply. Focus on her central being, where her aura flowed in gentle waves. Reality is an illusion of hatred, strife is a consequence of misunderstanding. Inner-peace, inner peace... She stayed still for a few moments, the sound of her heart the only thing that pounded in her ears--frantic for a bit longer before calming down, finding a steadier rhythm as calm washed over her. She did not deign to open her eyes immediately, letting herself sink into peace. When she finally felt safe, her eyelids fluttered open--Juniper's lips upturning into a smile. It was going to be okay, though perhaps doing some aikido exercises tonight would behoove her.
Her drive home was quiet, she hummed to herself on the way, a whimsical and airy tone. Before long, she pulled up to their house. She parked the vehicle and picked up her plant, grabbing the groceries from the backseat before letting herself in. First stop, kitchen, she had to drop off the food. She wasn't sure who could hear her but she happily called out, as she always did when she arrived back.
"I'm home!" Normally, no one ever really came to greet her, well, not immediately. It didn't usually take a long time for her younger siblings to find her and generally one of them (typically Carrie) had a complaint about another (typically Max)--it was a pattern that suited their lifestyle. Then once that was all settled, Ary would do the whole brooding thing, she'd try to make him feel better and he'd give her that strange look he'd adopted lately. The one that told her he thought that she just 'didn't get it'. Truthfully, she didn't like the look but she did her best to shrug it off. She had to always maintain her positivity after all! And with all his worrying, Ary wasn't helping much in that department.
As she entered the kitchen, a small figure caught her eye--the golden tresses and height told her that this particular little one was Lillya. Her smile froze on her face and she forced down the insecurity that surfaced. She'd not heard her sister utter a word in a long time. Even before the incident. There was a time that the girl had been so full of laughter, Juniper had been so sure that she and Lillya would be super close. But then all that changed and now, things were just tense, awkward, and strenuous. Still, it would get better, it always got better, and she'd be silly to stop trying just because it was hard! Lillya was like the little vinca plant, and with some proper care and nurturing, she'd blossom and smile again. At least, that's what Juniper believed.
"Hello, little sprout," She said, trying to cheer her younger sibling up a bit. There was a look of distress on Lillya's face, Juniper couldn't tell why. But she'd learned that the usual questions of "what's wrong" did nothing to alleviate the muteness of their interactions. She tried for a different approach, putting the bags down on the table before cautiously stepping closer. "Here," She said, bending over a little as she waved a hand over the pothos. One of the vines grew, wrapping around the other girl's head gently to resemble a leafy halo. She smiled, tugging at the vine to break it off softly, leaving the halo behind half-buried in the golden locks.
"Don't be so upset, whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be as bad as Ary's morning breath." She tried for a joke, drawing back to allow Lillya some space. Though now that she did get a better look at her younger sibling... why was she dressed as if she'd been out? Hmmm... "Did your activities run late?" She questioned lightly, beginning to unpack some of the food from the bags casually.